I’VE BEEN THINKING BACK (a sometimes dangerous thing to do) — journaling and reflecting on the activities, achievements, and failures of this past year — in fact, this past decade. After all, what better time to look back with perfect hindsight than year 2020 — a number that doubles as […]
“We build our character from the bricks of habit we pile up day by day.” Zig Ziglar When people ask me about my writing habits and hear that I write every day, they sometimes say, “Oh, I could NEVER do that.” As if it were a choice. But the truth […]
AS I’M SURE YOU’VE NOTICED, we are slip-sliding quickly to the end of the calendar year. It’s time to take final stock of where you are with your goals and make that last big push to reach the finish line. At the start of the year, we embarked together on […]
IN THIS SERIES on writing productivity, I have borrowed heavily from general principles of productivity that, when applied to work and life in general, can bring about positive results. These principles include setting and achieving goals, and managing and maximizing your writing time. But does ALL advice about productivity translate […]
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft I HAVE THIS HABIT of starting each new year in high productivity mode and then later, as the year progresses, find myself slowing down. By […]
LIFE IS BUSY, it seems there’s never enough time for everything, and other responsibilities tend to crowd out writing — that thing we say we love and want to do most. If you have difficulty accomplishing your writing goals, have trouble getting organized, tend to procrastinate, or simply feel that […]
SO YOU STARTED THE YEAR OUT STRONG. You created your big rock goals, developed an action plan for accomplishing those goals and scheduled time on your calendar. You review your plan frequently to keep yourself motivated. Sure, you’re not perfect, but you’re making progress, and that’s what counts. In fact, […]
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO DEADLINES IS COMPLICATED. From the time we start school — and sometimes even before — we are subject to deadlines in almost every aspect of our lives, from homework to after-school sports. As adults, deadlines stretch from projects at work to bills and taxes due. If you […]
